A key focus of this blog is the history of Jacksons in Ireland. I am specially curious about those who may be related to Sir Thomas Jackson (1841-1915). His life is key to understanding how a dozen or so young men, sons of Irish tenant farmers, shaped the future of international banking in the Far East in the late 1800s. I also use this blog as a place for playful posts: book and restaurant reviews, recipes, and events in my life. WARNING: Note the date of each post. Some may be outdated.

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Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Twenty Children of Rev Richard JACKSON

The Royal Hotel stands on ground which was
once where Jackson Hall stood in Kirkby Lonsdale. A subsequent Jackson Hall was built in Coleraine in 1680.

Rev. Richard JACKSON of Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland sired fifteen children with
his first wife, Dorothy OTWAY (1605-1645), and then he sired five more with his
2nd wife, Jane CARTER. Whew!

These sons and daughters, and their descendants, had a
significant impact on the next four centuries in Ireland. One of their sons, William,
owned leases for land that covered much of Coleraine in the mid-1600s, while son
Samuel had dozens of leases in Dublin, Monaghan, Meath and Cavan. Pretty much
every time I look in the Deeds Registry, there is one more property to add to
the pile. The daughters are harder to trace, women always are, but several of them
are named in the records of their marriages to Ireland-based husbands.

These sons of Rev. Richard may have been born with silver
spoons in their mouths, but most of them were also vigorously entrepreneurial. At
the same time, it should be acknowledged that some of them– first born William is
a prime example – were clearly guilty of conducting some aspects of their
business enterprises in the grey zone. Even when they were caught red-handed breaking
the laws of the land, they still succeeded in pocketing the profits from things
such as illegal fishing or logging. Plus
ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Aside from this mix of qualities which included sure-footed entrepreneurial
instincts, good health, and enough capital, the Jacksons who ended up in
Ireland had one other ace in the hole. Their father, Rev Richard, was skilled
at navigating the ever-shifting sands of mid-1600s political and religious change
(the two were like conjoined twins). One week it was best to be a Royalist, the
next week, a Parliamentarian, and the week after that it was best just to keep
quiet.

There is one more intriguing aspect to their success which I
still have to nail down. This is their connection to John Jackson, a goldsmith who
was Oliver Cromwell’s Treasurer (goldsmiths were the precursors to banks, and
wars could not be fought without their support). We do know that at least one
of Rev Richard’s sons, also a John Jackson, was apprenticed as a goldsmith, but
he was too young to be that goldsmith.
Also, the father of that John Jackson
was – you guessed it – another John Jackson. Thanks to Jan Waugh, I have 22
pages of research on this topic. In the meantime, I can’t help but note that
when you consider all the toweling, sheeting, canvas, and straw mattresses that
Cromwell was requisitioning for hospitals in Ireland, let alone all the cloth
needed to kit out the men in his Model Army, it is no wonder that the Jacksons
of the Clothworkers Guild would have benefitted from their association with the
Jacksons in the Goldsmiths Guild.

One aspect of the London Guilds worth bearing in mind is
that it wasn’t just anyone who could earn the right to sign up for an
apprenticeship. Most of the time, the backing of a father, brother, or uncle was
needed. This increases the likelihood that the success of the Jackson sons and
daughters who settled in Ireland rested, at least in part, on a close family
connection to Oliver Cromwell’s Treasurer. Once again, it is: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même
chose.

For me, the most boring part of the Bible is the dreaded begats.
Still, in cases like this, it is the begats that lay the foundation for sorting
out who is who. It is especially confounding when families, such as the
Jacksons, have only a miserly handful of forenames that they use over and over
again: John, William, Richard… A family tree is the necessary skeleton that has
to be constructed before we can get to the more entertaining bits. For the fun part that will follow once the skeleton
is assembled, you will have to stay tuned. In the meantime, let’s start with:

THE
DREADED BEGATS

As part of the context of this family of Jacksons, it helps
to known that Richard Jackson’s first wife, Dorothy, was about 22 years old
when she married. She had the first of her 15 children at age 23. From there,
it was pretty much a child a year until she died at age 40. She also introduced
a number of significant OTWAY connections into the mix.

·Her family had significant land holdings in
Ireland.

·Her brother, Sir
John OTWAY of Ingmire
Hallwas known
to be sympathetic to the Quaker cause and in his role as Justice of the Peace helped
to secure the release of Friends from jail in the 1660s. This may become pertinent
when we also look at the history of the formidable frequency of Jacksons who
were Irish Quakers.

Following
the warp and weft of these families is all about search and re-search as Willie
Nolan described the process of doing local history at a lecture that he gave last Thursday in
Dublin.

THE CHILDREN OF DOROTHY OTWAY.

1.William JACKSON (1628-1688).

a.In the spring of 1663, William Jackson
obtained a lease of the Clothworker's lands in Coleraine. …Capt. Jackson was an
able and enterprising man, and appears to started developing Killowen not long
after obtaining the Clothworker's estate, as the rental of houses of the
Waterside, Coleraine, is mentioned in the summer of 1669. He became wood-ranger
for the Irish Society, a position from which he would be able to expedite the
project of a bridge across the Bann. SOURCE: Coleraine in
by-gone centuries, Rev. T.H. Mullin. D.D., Century Services.

b.The
Manor House, later known as Jacksons’s Hall, dates back to 1680, and was likely
built at the initiative of this William Jackson. It was built in the grounds of
the former Coleraine Castle, a castle which dated back to the 12th
Century, although this castle had been closer to the Waterside than Jackson Hall was.Sometime late in the 20th century, Jackson Hall was demolished. One source says that it became the site of a new County Hall, but another source says that is
that it is now a car park. I am sure someone can set me straight on this.

c.Two
years after William’s death, his widow, Susan BERESFORD, married Col. Jon
MITCHELBURN. They had been living separately for some time before she died, in
1706, at the Dublin home of her brother-in-law Samuel JACKSON. Since he died a
half hour before her, this makes me suspect that a contagious illness may have
been a factor in both deaths.

d.William
was also the grandfather of the Richard Jackson (1722-1787) of Forkhill Lodge,
Co. Armagh whose Trust continues to support community needs today. The required
annual provision of a coat for every poor farmer (as the Trust specified in 1787)
has morphed into supporting the local hospice, and other worthy charities. More
on that in a later post.

2.Thomas
JACKSON (1629-bef 1688)

a.Aside
from a birth record, he is invisible. My best guess – based on not much – is
that he ended up in Leeds, Yorkshire. His sister Dorothy married a Thomas Walker
of Leeds, his brother Nathaniel was also of Leeds, and there are a number of
JACKSON families from Leeds and nearby with professional ties which include membership
in the Clothworkers Guild. He is one of those on my To-Do-List for further
research.

b.In the
will of his brother William Jackson, he was not mentioned in the list of living
brothers, hence I presume that he died before 1688.

3.John
JACKSON (1630-aft 1688)

a.He was bonded as a goldsmith's apprentice for 8 years on
March 19, 1647. His master was James Beacham, a goldsmith at St Vedast, Foster
lane in London. We do not yet know his relationship to the John Jackson,
goldsmith, who was Oliver Cromwell’s Treasurer.

b.In a history of
Colerain, John Jackson was described as “of Colerain”. NOTE:
I suspect my reference for this was: Coleraine
in by-gone centuries, Rev. T.H. Mullin. D.D., Century Services. When I get home I will check it out.

c.The fact that he was still living in 1688 rules him
out as the John JACKSON of Antrim who died before 1668. The infant children of that John
Jackson, Daniel & Sarah,received land at Tullyvallen, Co. Armagh. This John from Antrim cannot be
ruled out as a cousin, so I mention him in this context. SOURCES:

i.Reports
and Schedules claimed in respect of lands in Antrim]. "John Jackson
was one of the ex-soldiers settled in the Parish of Dunaghy, Barony of
Kilconway, County Antrim who was displaced by Antrim's recovery of his estates

a.Jackson, Francis; son of Richard; born at Halton
Lancs. School: (1) Kirkby Lonsdale; (2)Giggleswick. Admitted May 31 1649 age 17 (b. Abt 1632) son of Richard
Jackson (1619), rector of Halton and Dorothy Otway. Mentioned as dead in his
father`s will, Feb 1682. Married May17, 1665 Elizabeth PARKE of Sebberg. NOTE:
Another Francis JACKSON was Master of Kirkby Lonsdale School in 1656 (Leech
Yorkshire Schools, 2.416)

b.Was he
the ffranc Jackson in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim mentioned in the 1669 Hearth Money
rolls? Not impossible.SEE: Jacksons
of Steeple.

5.Jennet JACKSON - born between 1633 and
1640.

a.She married Oliver NORTH July 6, 1671,
and gave birth to her son Oliver NORTH in 1684, when she was at least 44 years old.

b.A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary
of the Landed Gentry of GreatBritain and Ireland.Part II.OLIVER
NORTH, Esq. of Newton, m. 6 July, 1671, Jennet, dau. of the Rev. Richard
Jackson, rector of Whittington from 1640 to 1680, d. and was buried at
Whittington, 25 Jan. 1723, leaving a son, RICHARD NORTH, Esq. of Newton,
baptised 18 Jan. 1684, who s. his cousin, Abigail
Jackson, of Jackson's Hall [NOTE: see
beneath – Abigail daughter of re. Leonard JACKSON], in her estates in England
and IrelandHe m. Anne Preston, and by
her (who was buried at Whittington, 10 Feb. 1760) had issue, a son, OLIVER. He
d. 1773, and was buried at Whittington

6.Anna
JACKSON. Born 1633, we know nothing more about her.

a.One possibility is that she was the sister who married a Rev John Jackson, rector of Skipworth and
also of Doncaster (Rev. John was mentioned as a brother-in-law in Samuel Jacksons 1705 will). There is also a line of Doncaster JACKSONs who have the same
three shoveller birds in their family arms as the Westorland Jacksons do.

7.Maria
JACKSON (1634-bef 1642)

a.A 2nd
Maria was born in 1642, hence I assume the death of the first one happened
before this.

8.Richard
JACKSON (1634-bef 1688).

a.So
far, he is invisible to me – except for his baptismal record. It is entirely
possible that he ended up in Co. Armagh.

9.Hannah
JACKSON (1636-aft 1688). She married Major BOND.

a.A forename
for her husband would help us move forward.

10.Elizabeth
JACKSON (1637-bef 1688)

a.Was
she in Leeds with her brother Nathaniel? Not impossible.

b.Another
possibility – one sister married a Rev John Jackson, rector of Skipworth and
also of Doncaster. There is also a line of Doncaster JACKSONs who have the same
three shoveller birds in their family arms.

11.Dorothy
JACKSON (1639-aft 1688)

a.There
was a will probated in the York Prerogative & Exchequer Courts 19
Jun 1697 for a Dorothy WALKER of Leeds – there is a good chance this is her will,
since she married a Thomas WALKER, a merchant of Leeds. There is also a burial
of a Dorothy WALKER at St Giles Anglican, Pontefract, Yorkshire May 20, 1696
which may be her (but maybe not – another record has this burial as a daughter
of Jane). NOTE: There are other JACKSONs near
Pontefract whose arms bear the same constellation of three shovellers.

b.TGF Patersons Notebook #135 has a transcription of
notes from the 1705 will of Samuel Jackson: … to my nephew William Jackson
son of my brother Nathaniel Jackson
of Leeds in Yorkshire deceased and his issue male.

13.Samuel
JACKSON (1641-1706). When he died in Dublin, he was possessed of considerable
property – worth more than £30,000 – much of it detailed in his will. The only
record of the will is in the form of an abstract done by Arthur Tenison Groves,
and a transcription and/or interpretation of the Groves version by TGF Paterson.
Both are held at the Armagh County Museum. NOTE:
When I get home, I will update my transcription of this 1705
will.

a.He served as the 2nd member of Parliament representing
Coleraine, Londonderry in the Irish House of Commons from 1695-1703.

b.He resided at the time of his death with a nephew,
Richard JACKSON in a house on Mary Lane, Dublin. His will mentions property that
he owned in Co. Monaghan, Co. Cavan, Dublin as well as at Clifford in
Yorkshire. The Dublin properties included: Young, Cashall & Fishamble St.,
and a house in King St. which he bought from William Robert Thornton. Other
deeds indicate that he held a lease to lands in what is now called Dunlaghaire,
but was known in earlier times as Kingstown.

c.Tues. 15-19 Jan 1706. ... This morning Sam Jackson
Esq. died, 'tis said he was worth £30,000 which he left to his two nephews.
About half an hour after, Madam Mitchelburn, sister to the said Jackson, died
in the same house. NOTE: She was a sister-in-law
of Samuel Jackson. Her first husband was William Jackson, and she was living
with Samuel while estranged from her second husband, Co. John Mitchelburne.

b.The intriguing
thing about this forename is that the John JACKSON, who was ceded lands in
Tullyvallen had a son named Daniel. That Daniel was not of age in 1668. There
were a few other yeoman class Daniel Jackson in Ireland in the mid-1600s. It is
one of the less usual Jackson forenames.

THE
CHILDREN OF JANE CARTER.

16.Rodger
JACKSON (b1645-?)

a.He
would have been too young to have served with Cromwell, so he is not the Rodger
JACKSON awarded lands in Ireland for military or financial services rendered.

17.Jane
JACKSON (1648-1648). Obviously, she died as an infant

18.Rev.
Leonard JACKSON (1650-1726

a.His
son Robert inherited lands as a nephew of Samuel JACKSON (1641-1706)..

b.His
daughter Abigail JACKSON married a Mr. BUCKLEY (who may have lived in Ireland –
there are a few prospects for what his forename might be, but no slam-dunk evidence). When he died, sometime
before 1734, she then married a Sir Oliver CROFTEN. She had no issue, and
Jackson Hall in Kirkby Lonsdale, along with other properties then went to her
NORTH relations.

c.His daughter
Jane was unmarried at the time that her sister Abigail was widowed. The two of
them inherited a significant number of acres of land in Ireland.

19.Abigail
JACKSON (1655-1721)

a.She
married a Rowland BURROW in 1675. He died before 1721.

20.Vigesima
JACKSON (1657-1734). They must have run out of family forenames since her name
means the twentieth. Perhaps it was also a signal that enough is enough.

a.From
Turtle Bunbury: Elizabeth Bouch was a
granddaughter of the Rev Richard Jackson, rector of
Whittington Lancs. Another of the Rev. Jackson's granddaughters, albeit from a
different line, was Rose Jackson who married Thomas
Bunbury of Cloghna, County Carlow.
Just to clarify, the Rev. Jackson's daughter Vigesima (1657-1734, by his later
wife Jane Carter) married the curate Thomas Bouch (c. 1660-1716, who succeeded
his father-in-law as rector of Whittington in 1680) and they were parents of
Elizabeth Bouch.

About Me

Author And Researcher. I am currently writing a book on the life of Sir Thomas Jackson. He was the son of tenant farmers, born just before the Famine in South Armagh, who was knighted because he not only lead HSBC into the 20th Century, but was also responsible for assisting with the funding of much of the economic development in China & Japan in the late 1800s. My first published book was "Some Become Flowers: Living with Dying at Home".